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Friday, April 20, 2012

The Rock of Ivanore - Review + Giveaway

Expected publication: May 15th 2012

by Tanglewood Press

Blurb:

The annual Great Quest is about to be announced in Quendel, a task that will determine the future of Marcus and the other boys from the village who are coming of age. The wizard Zyll commands them to find the Rock of Ivanore, but he doesn’t tell them what the Rock is exactly or where it can be found. Marcus must reach deep within himself to develop new powers of magic and find the strength to survive the wild lands and fierce enemies he encounters as he searches for the illusive Rock. If he succeeds, he will live a life of honor; if he fails, he will live a life of menial labor in shame. With more twists and turns than a labyrinth, and a story in which nothing is at it seems, this tale of deception and discovery keeps readers in suspense until the end.

Middle readers will find that The Rock of Ivanore fits nicely among the traditional fantasies they so enjoy. They will also appreciate its fresh and inventive take on the genre.

I especially enjoyed the character and plot development of this book. It is the perfect "epic" story for MG readers: awesome storyline and set-up for following books, but not so long as to be intimidating to middle readers. If we could take the tone of Lord of the Rings and make it 10-year-old friendly, we'd have The Rock of Ivanore.

The characters are what totally make this story shine--especially Xerxes, the talking, walking-stick. Love him! Every one of the boys is individual and likable, with unique traits that add something to the overall storyline. I love the pacing and world building and easy readability.

This is the perfect choice for middle grade fantasy lovers!

To help spread the fun of this new adventure, I will randomly choose one winner from the comments (must be a follower of this blog) to win my ARC. Good luck!

DISCLAIMER

The authors of Project Mayhem do their best to provide accurate, witty, and sometimes manic information pertaining to all things middle grade. Any resemblance to anybody else's manic, witty, and accurate information is purely serendipitous. However, the views and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the individual authors, and do not necessarily reflect those of the other writers on this blog. Except, we all agree that reading Project Mayhem will brighten your day. Drop by mic.